Tips to Improve Your Learning COM 391 (The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results) As you prepare for an exam, remember to consider all the different choices you make and how they influence your learning experience. This includes the classroom, your time studying outside of class, and the way you actually take the exam. 1. The classroom is a place to LEARN material – not just “get notes” a. Read BEFORE you come to class – then the lecture will reinforce material rather than introduce material that you don’t know yet. Use the discussion questions for each article to help target what is important. Get into the habit of writing out the answers to the discussion questions to help prepare you for activities or quizzes. b. Sit towards the front of the classroom so there are fewer distractions c. Turn off your cell phone and PUT IT AWAY! - you can’t learn as well when you are distracted, you shouldn’t be text messaging in class and you also shouldn’t be listening to your iPod during lecture. d. Consider going “old school” / using pen and paper instead of a laptop- writing by hand requires more focus than typing (especially if you type fast!) You also should not be checking your email, Facebook or surfing the internet during class if you do choose to use a laptop because research has shown that multi-tasking reduces your cognitive ability (YES – even for people who claim that they are “good” at multi-tasking!) e. Make sure you have as complete a set of notes as possible BEFORE

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